American Leaders and Heroes Part 16

They were waiting for the coming of Benjamin Rotch, who had gone to see if the collector would give him a clearance. Rotch came in and told the angry crowd that the collector refused to give the clearance. The people told him that he must get a pa.s.s from the Governor. Fearing for his personal safety, the poor man started out to find Governor Hutchinson who had purposely retired to his country home at Milton. Then the meeting adjourned for the morning.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Old South Church, Boston.]

At three o'clock a great throng of eager men again crowded into the Old South Church and the streets outside to wait for the return of Rotch. It was a critical moment. "If the Governor refuses to give the pa.s.s, shall the revenue officer be allowed to seize the tea and land it to-morrow morning?" Many anxious faces showed that men were asking themselves this momentous question.

But while, in deep suspense, the meeting waited and deliberated, John Rowe said, "Who knows how tea will mingle with salt water?" A whirlwind of applause swept through the a.s.sembly and the ma.s.ses outside the church. As daylight deepened into darkness, candles were lighted.

Shortly after six Benjamin Rotch entered the church and, with pale face, said, "The Governor refuses to give a pa.s.s." An angry murmur arose, but the crowd soon became silent, when Samuel Adams arose and said, "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country."

This was plainly a concerted signal. In an instant a war-whoop sounded, and forty or fifty "Mohawks," or men dressed as Indians, who were waiting outside, dashed past the door and down Milk Street toward Griffin's Wharf, where the tea-s.h.i.+ps were lying at anchor. It was bright moonlight, and everything could be plainly seen. Many men stood on sh.o.r.e and watched the "Mohawks" as they broke open 342 chests, and poured the tea into the harbor. There was no confusion. All was done in perfect order.

The "Boston Tea Party," of which Samuel Adams was the prime mover, was a long step toward the Revolution. Samuel Adams was at this time almost or quite alone in his desire for Independence, and he has well been called the "Father of the Revolution." But his influence for the good of America continued far beyond the time of the "Boston Tea Party." Up to the last his patriotism was earnest and sincere. He died in 1803, at the age of eighty-one years. Not as an orator, like Patrick Henry, but as a man of action, like Lincoln and Was.h.i.+ngton, had he a powerful influence over men. His was truly a life of distinguished service to his country.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The "Boston Tea Party."]

REVIEW OUTLINE

THE FEELING OF Ma.s.sACHUSETTS PEOPLE.

SAMUEL ADAMS IN BUSINESS AND IN PUBLIC LIFE.

A MAN TO BE TRUSTED.

KING GEORGE'S NEW SCHEME OF TAXATION.

BITTER OPPOSITION TO THE NEW TAXES.

THE KING'S SHREWD ATTEMPT TO OUTWIT THE AMERICANS.

TAXED TEA ARRIVES IN AMERICA.

A HUGE TOWN MEETING.

A BITTER STRUGGLE WITH GOVERNOR HUTCHINSON OVER THE TEA.

OVER 7,000 EXCITED MEN IN THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.

THE GOVERNOR REFUSES TO GIVE ROTCH A Pa.s.s.

THE "MOHAWKS" AND THE "TEA PARTY"; ADMIRAL MONTAGUE.

SAMUEL ADAMS THE "FATHER OF THE REVOLUTION."

TO THE PUPIL

1. What were King George's new taxes? What was their three-fold purpose?

2. Why were all the taxes repealed except the one on tea? In what way did the King try to entrap the Americans?

3. Tell about the bitter struggle over landing the tea.

4. Can you form mental pictures of the following: The throng of excited men in and about the Old South Church, awaiting the return of Benjamin Rotch; and the party of "Mohawks" on their way down Milk Street to the harbor?

5. What was the great work of Samuel Adams? What do you admire in his character? Compare him with Patrick Henry. Have you definite pictures of the personal appearance of these men?

CHAPTER XIV

Paul Revere and the Battle of Concord and Lexington

[1735-1818]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Paul Revere.]

After the "Boston Tea Party," affairs became more serious than ever in Ma.s.sachusetts. As a punishment to the rebellious colonists for daring to oppose their royal master, the English authorities closed the port of Boston to all trade, and made General Gage military governor of Ma.s.sachusetts.

One of the first acts of the new Governor was to dismiss the Colonial a.s.sembly, thus depriving the people of their right to make laws, and subjecting them wholly to the will of the King. The colonists felt this to be an outrage upon free government, and immediately organized a new governing body which they called a Provincial Congress. With John Hanc.o.c.k as its president and Samuel Adams as its leading spirit, this congress began at once to make rapid preparations for war. It called for an army of 20,000 men who were to be ready, at a minute's notice, to march to any point of danger. These first soldiers of the Revolution, thus hastily mustered, were called "minute-men."

Meanwhile General Gage, who was in command of 3,000 British troops in Boston, had received orders from England to seize John Hanc.o.c.k and Samuel Adams as traitors. General Gage knew that Hanc.o.c.k and Adams were staying for a while with a friend in Lexington. He had learned also through his spies that the minute-men had collected some cannon and military stores in Concord, eighteen miles from Boston. The British General planned, therefore, to send a body of troops to arrest the two leaders at Lexington, and then to push on and destroy the stores at Concord.

Although he acted with the greatest secrecy, he was not alert enough to keep his plans from the watchful minute-men. Gage's failure was brought about by one of these minute-men, Paul Revere, whose famous "midnight ride" was one of the exciting episodes of the Revolution.

Paul Revere was born in Boston, in 1735, in what is now called the north end of the town. He followed his father's trade, and became a goldsmith.

To this occupation he added copper-plate engraving, and not only produced prints of many current events, but engraved plates for money issued by the Provincial Congress of Ma.s.sachusetts.

He had taken an active part in the "Boston Tea Party," and in 1774, with about thirty other young patriots, formed a society to spy out the British plans. Always on the watch, these young men at once made known any suspicious movement to such leaders as Samuel Adams, John Hanc.o.c.k, and Dr. Joseph Warren.

On the evening of April 18, 1775, Revere and his friends reported to Dr.

Warren certain unusual movements of troops and boats, and their belief that General Gage was about to carry out his plan of capturing Adams and Hanc.o.c.k and of destroying the military stores at Concord.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Paul Revere's Ride.]

Dr. Warren quickly summoned William Dawes and Paul Revere, and despatched them on horseback to Lexington and Concord, to give the alarm. He sent them by different routes, hoping that one at least might escape capture by British patrols, with whom Gage had carefully guarded all the roads leading from Boston.

Dawes was soon making his way across Boston Neck, while Paul Revere went home and put on his riding suit for his long night-ride. Then, leaving orders for a lantern-signal to be hung in the belfry of the Old North Church, to indicate by which route the British forces were advancing, "one if by land and two if by sea," he rowed across the Charles River, pa.s.sing near the British war-vessels lying at anchor.

On the opposite bank he soon got ready a fleet horse. There he stood, bridle in hand, watching to catch sight of the signal lights. At eleven o'clock two lights gleamed out from the belfry, and told him that the British troops were crossing the Charles River on their march through Cambridge.

Leaping into his saddle he sped like the wind toward Lexington. Suddenly two British officers sprang out to capture him; but quickly turning his horse, he dashed into a side path, and soon outdistanced his pursuers.

Ten minutes later he arrived at Medford.

Then at every house along the road, he stopped and shouted, "Up and arm!

Up and arm! The regulars are out! The regulars are out!"

When he reached Lexington it was just midnight. Eight minute-men, guarding the house where Adams and Hanc.o.c.k were sleeping, warned him not to disturb the household by making so much noise. "Noise!" cried Paul Revere. "You'll have noise enough before long. The regulars are out!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Old North Church.]

William Dawes soon joined Paul Revere, and after a few minutes spent in taking refreshments they rode off together toward Concord accompanied by Dr. Prescott. About half way there they met some mounted British officers, who called to them to halt. Prescott managed to escape by making his horse leap a stone wall, and rode in hot haste toward Concord, which he reached in safety; but Paul Revere and William Dawes both fell into the hands of the British.

In the meantime, the British troops, numbering 800 men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, were on their way to Lexington. But they had not gone far before they were made aware, by the ringing of church-bells, the firing of signal guns, the beating of drums, and the gleaming of beacon-fires from the surrounding hilltops, that the minute-men knew of their movements. Colonel Smith, disturbed by these signs of threatening storm, sent Major Pitcairn ahead with a picked body of light infantry, in the hope that they might reach Lexington before the town could be aroused. He then sent back to Boston for reinforcements.

The British commander had reason to be disturbed, for the alarm-signals were calling to arms thousands of patriots ready to die for their rights. Hastily wakened from sleep, men s.n.a.t.c.hed their old muskets from over the door and, bidding a hurried good-by to wife and children, started for the meeting-places long since agreed upon.

Just as the sun was rising, Major Pitcairn marched into Lexington, where he found forty or fifty minute-men ready to dispute his advance.

"Disperse, ye rebels: disperse!" he cried. But they would not disperse.